In My Mailbox is held weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren. Click here for details on how to participate.
Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.
Rules:
~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.
They're on a crash course to nowhere. But you, my lady friend, you're a black hole. You've sucked me in, and now there's no escape...
Dylan has a bad-boy past and a criminal record. He knows that rich, beautiful Jess is way too good for him--but she has always been the one person who sees through his tough exterior and straight to his heart, and he has been hopelessly in love with her from the first time they met. He would change his life for a chance with her.
But trouble follows Dylan wherever he goes, and a deadly mistake soon forces him to hit the road and leave his dreams behind. He’s on the run and in search of answers--answers to questions he wishes he’d never asked.
How far can you go down the wrong path before you can’t get back on the right one?
Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...
We're both obsessed with fate. Anything that helps us make sense of this life is fascinating.
Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.
Rules:
~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.
I'm me and you're you, and all of them out there are them. And we're all so different and equally unimportant.
Halo
By Alexandra Adornetto
Source: Contest (ARC)
Pages: 484
Rating: 4/5
Book Description:
Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone--especially herself--from the Dark Forces.
Is love great enough power against evil?
A quote:
Sometimes it's better to stop trying to make sense of things. Life isn't clear cut, there are always gray areas.
Any thoughts:
I didn’t notice that Alexandra Adornetto is seventeen years old until Steff read the back (unlike me) and told me. Then I said, “Wow, that is impressive. This is pretty good.” Halo is a little more focused on the romance plot and less on the paranormal, and while I enjoyed it, it still has its ups and downs.
The premise of angels coming down to Earth interested me. Life on earth is viewed differently and we get to witness the opinion of an angel from heaven. Of course, when Bethany, the youngest of the three angels sent to Earth, experiences life as a human she instantly faces temptation. She briefly thinks about pre-marital sex and struggles with drinking and partying, but she has a sense of what is right and what is wrong.
Most of the story was based on the romantic relationship between Bethany and Xavier, which was really adorable. I admit, I gushed at some parts. Xavier is kind and has a sense of humour and manners. He is your perfect guy. He does not have a single flaw unless you count his grieving past, which I don’t. But that’s the problem with me -- I like my fiction guys interesting and conflicted. However, Bethany and Xavier make a fantastic couple and I’m glad their relationship is now established so the next book in the series will contain more paranormal aspects.
The writing is wonderful. I loved how Adornetto described with detail the setting and the scenes. Bethany’s voice is unordinary from humans, who talk in slangs and with sarcasm (Admit it, a lot of us do). She gets caught behind, which makes for a soft comedic relief at times.
The one scene I disliked the most was when Xavier didn’t talk to Bethany for a while, resulting in Bethany’s depression. I cringed, and a flashback to when Bella spent time without Edward came to me. I just don’t understand how you can’t not live without your boyfriend. It sent a clear message that Bethany being alone is weak.
As much as I enjoyed Halo, I’m hoping more of a development in Bethany’s character in the next instalment as well as a focus on the paranormal conflicts. To readers who are looking for a deep romance, Halo would be the perfect, unique story for you.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—nicknamed The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms eventually will. In this dystopia, even the very air she breathes could kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild, dangerous—a savage. He’s also her only hope.
Perry needs Aria, too. She alone holds the key to his redemption. And their unlikely alliance will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.
Debut author Veronica Rossi is accumulating fans from all over the globe—the book has already sold to more than twenty countries. It’s not surprising that foreign rights for this title have been flying off the shelf. It’s a tantalizing romance in any language.
Possessed
By Kate Cann
Source: Library
Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5
Book Description:
Rayne can't wait to start her summer job at a remote country mansion, far from the crowded, noisy London she so desperately wants to escape. But the retreat soon turns into a nightmare — the mansion is creepy, the legends of ghosts keep Rayne up at night, and she doesn't feel safe anywhere.
Can Rayne figure out why she's so freaked — before she becomes a ghost story herself?
A quote:
Sometimes a house has two histories. One that's less well known. One that people have an interest in keeping less well known.
Any thoughts:
When you read about a change of setting, you can clearly see the differences between them. In Possessed, Rayne moves to an isolated area and decides to live in a spooky, ancient-looking mansion called Morton’s Keep. It’s her only escape from what she feels is the place where she doesn’t belong -- the crowded, messy city of London.
The beginning and the middle of the book took time to get used to. It felt a little boring, I must admit. It is in the end when the suspense rises and you cannot help but want to think about the mystery and turn the pages at the same time. That was my favourite thing about Possessed. The mystery revolved around Morton’s Keep and the past events that had happened long ago. It kept me guessing about what’s wrong with the town and why the rituals the citizens hold are a big deal. Rayne is there in the middle of it all and she has no choice but to figure it out in order to keep herself safe.
The writing fits the atmosphere of the book. It was strong enough at times to make me feel a little spooked. The characters were alright. The minor ones who were left in London I didn’t get to find much about in the end and Rayne is a character who is hard to relate to. I couldn’t figure out her stand most of the time. But all in all, Possessed is an enjoyable, suspenseful read. There’s word that there will be a sequel and that, I will have to read.
In My Mailbox is held weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren. Click here for details on how to participate.
Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.
Rules:
~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.
I never knew there were so many different ways to say goodbye.
With a summer job at Bob & Bob Records in Berkeley, California, teen music junkie Allie is ready for anything. She’s poised to fall in love, catch a thief, and make a mix that’ll break your heart. And when she blogs as The Vinyl Princess, Allie is the sort of mystery girl you can’t resist tuning in to. Get ready for the vinyl revolution!Author Yvonne Prinz, co-founder of Amoeba Music, the world’s biggest independent music store, brings readers into the inspired, obsessive, irrepressible heart of a teen head-over-heels in love with music. Like a great record, here is a read to rock your soul and rattle your bones.
There’s no need for us to talk. That’s how it’s like with us. We talk without speaking.
High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.
It’s all a fake.
At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?
But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—
Are about him.
I hate being the oldest.
I hate it because I'm the one who has to experience everything first. And even if I haven't, my sisters still think I know everything. Which I sort of do, but that's not the point.
